Long time no see, my dear friends! I am back. Officially back home and back to writing. After a long (a lot longer than I intended, oopsie) break from writing, I finally wrote the 14th chapter of 'Not Every Royal Wears A Crown', for you. It's not much, due to the awful writer's block I've been experiencing these past days, but at least it's something! I hope you enjoy. I'll be back with other chapters soon, if life allows. See you soon! Stay safe, pals ;-)
The next day, Friday 20th, London
Without hesitating, Elsie grabbed the telephone from its place on the table, holding it next to her ear.
"Grantham house, Mrs. Hughes, the housekeeper speaking."
"Mrs. Hughes! Finally, I managed to ring to the right place it seems. This blasted thing is just as horrid as the electric mixer!"
She didn't need to ask even once who the caller was.
"Mrs. Patmore.", Elsie sighed, shaking her head.
"That's correct."
"Is something the matter? Has something happened?"
"Of course not. Why would you think that?", when hearing no answers from the other side, the cook continues;"I couldn't restraint myself from calling."
"Whatever for?", the housekeeper asks.
"Well, it's hardly every day one gets to visit the royal family of England.", beams Beryl Patmore."You have to tell me everything."
"Uhm- Maybe another time, Mrs. Patmore. I'm quite busy right no-"
"Now, we both know that's not true! Normally you have your tea at this time of day, I know that much. And, besides, you don't have much duties while you're there, so speak up, ma'am."
She wasn't exactly in the mood to talk about it. Elsie loved her dear friend, but sometimes she could be very tiring, and by sometimes she meant very often... The news were hardly something one could tell over the telephone.
"Well, I won't be telling you anything right now. You must wait till we get back."
"And when will that be? I can hardly wait another week! What's so secret about it?"
"Something…A bit surprising, came up. Well, I don't know what I expected exactly. I feel like I don't want to say it through the telephone.", Elsie explained gently, feeling the emotions rising again.
"Something came up, what do you mean?"
Before the housekeeper could reply, she could hear a loud bang from the other side of the call.
"Mr. Molesley! If you are going to keep that up, you're going to break the blasted plate!"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Patmore, Mr. Barrow didn't say you were in here.", a voice could be heard, which supposedly belonged to a stumbling Mr. Molesley.
"No, I dare say he didn't…Now, surely you should be back at the school by now?"
"Oh-"
"Hurry up then!", scolded Mrs. Patmore.
There was a short silence and a deep sigh, before her friend spoke up again.
"You were saying?"
"I just don't want to tell you about…It…Before I can do it face to face. I hope you understand, but I will not say anything right now."
"Well, if that's what you want. I won't deny that I am disappointed, but we'll do it your way.", Beryl said.
"Thank you for that."
"And how are things otherwise in London?"
"Everything's well. Although I do miss home already. I've never been a city girl after all.", Elsie told, glad of the change in the subject."What about Downton, how are things there?"
"As one would expect without you keeping Mr. Barrow in check."
"Mhm. I thank you for the compliment.", Elsie smiled at hersels before continuing;"And how is Daisy?"
"I sent her get some rest. I heard from Ms. Baxter she has been tossing and turning in bed all night long. And I shall not forget she mentioned the poor girl went running to the bathroom every twenty minutes."
"She's not sleeping at the farm?"
"Apparently she and Andy are having one of those famous arguments once again. She told me she was going to kill him if she were to share a bed with him."
"Well, I am glad she stays at the big house then.", Elsie said, biting her lip to keep herself from chucking.
She turned and looked over her shoulder when she heard familiar steps coming her way in the corridor. He stepped closer to her, placing his hand on her lower back, while his lips planted a gently kiss on her cheek.
"Oh, well I'd better go. It seems someone is requiring my attention over here.", Elsie told very hoarsely, her voice rather quiet.
"I wonder who that might be.", teased Mrs. Patmore.
"Hello there, Mrs. Patmore.", replied Charles.
"Hello to you too, Mr. Carson. I trust everything went well enough yesterday, as I recall you two are still in good terms?"
"One could say that, yes.", he said, before adding;"It's just something to get used to."
"I should hope so! Anyways, I really should leave you two alone, to enjoy some of the London's delights while you're up there. You will call me if something new comes up, won't you?"
"Of course, you can count me on that, Mrs. Patmore. I'll see you in five days."
Elsie carefully placed the telephone back in its place on the table in the butler's pantry. She sat down on the comfortable chair in the middle of the room, sighing as she did just that.
"Did you tell her about the visit?", asked Charles.
"I didn't. I just couldn't bring myself around to speak of such things on telephone. God knows who is listening to it!", Elsie smirked slightly, but the smile fell flat way to soon.
"Understood. Maybe it's better to talk to her once we get back to Downton."
"Hmm."
"What do you think about it?"
"What do I think about it? I don't know exactly.", she whispered.
"We never got the chance to talk, just the two of us, once we were…Otherwise occupied…And then Lord and Lady Grantham wanted to hear about our visit."
"I know. But what is there to talk? We know the truth now and we must live with it, no matter how painful it is."
She never intended to sound so harsh. It never was, or would be, his fault after all.
"Elsie, I know that's not how you normally see life.", Charles attempted to understand her point.
"No, it might've not. But you see, knowing that you were forgotten and just left behind because others thought it was better that way, is something beyond cruel and I feel sorry for myself for feeling this way, but I do."
They both fell into an uncomfortable silence, only the bustling in the kitchen and the chatter in the servant's hall keeping them from forgetting where they were.
"I wish this would have never happened to you, Elsie."
"I wish that too."
She stood up from her seat on the settee, stepping closer to him and placing her hand on his chest.
"But it has happened, and you must allow me to process it in my own way, alright?"
He just nodded. She was right, it had happened. And they were the people who would have to carry the weight of it on their shoulders.
"You do know that I love you very much, don't you?"
"You love me more than anything else? I know, Charles. It's the same way for me."
Meanwhile, back at Downton
"Why such a gloomy face, Mary?"
That was Tom Branson, when he stepped into the library of Downton Abbey.
"Why are you asking?"
"I am just concerned for my sister-in-law's well-being. Can't I ask?", Tom sat down on one of the red couches.
"Who says it's any of your business.", Mary said, still not lifting her face from the magazine she was reading.
"All right…", Tom sighed, dropping the question.
He sat there for a while, just observing the woman before him. He had been so busy, happily so, with the wedding preparations that he hardly had the time to pay attention to anything else these past days.
"It's the business with Carson and Mrs. Hughes that's bothering you, isn't it?"
"How good of you to guess.", Mary blurted out.
"So what? Mrs. Hughes will be a wonderful royal if you ask me. What is so bad about it?"
"Bad about it? The whole business is completely rotten!"
"How so?", questioned Tom.
"Well, for starters, it's not possible for a servant to be a royal, and second, she doesn't deserve it- Well, at least not quite as much as for example mama or me. She doesn't even behave like a royal."
"Because she only just discovered that she even belongs into a royal family, Mary! Mrs. Hughes is the most good-mannered woman in this whole county, and she deserves this with every fibre of her being.", Tom raged.
He was really losing his patience with her right now.
"Does she? And why on earth would Carson give me such a dressing down? He had absolutely no right!", Mary explained with a raised voice."I am so disappointed with him and it's not even the first time. I suppose that Scottish witc-"
"Mary! Honestly, shut up before you say something you will regret in the future!"
At this Mary finally lifted her gaze to meet his. And on his face, he was not wearing the kind smile, or the curious grin, he usually did, but this time he was looking at her with straight disapproval.
"Great. Did papa send you to give me a proper dressing down?"
"No, but I think you needed one."
And he was off. Tom almost hit Henry on the face with the door when he rushed out of the room. The other man who just walked inside the library, looked as confused as ever.
"What on earth happened to him?", Henry asked, his voice down like a whisper.
"Don't ask.", Mary whimpered before letting out a deep sigh.
The realization of all the words she said hit her hard.
"Alright, I won't.", stated Henry, still the same confused look on his face."I only wish you'll make it out with him rather sooner than later."
"Then I am afraid you have to be disappointed.", Mary told him almost desperately."This is not that easy. I'm afraid I've been such an idiot."